Breaking News Emails

SEOUL - A South Korean naval ship fired warning shots on Tuesday after a North Korean patrol boat crossed a disputed sea border and fired shots back before retreating, a South Korean defense official said. None of the shots by either side was aimed at the other's vessel, he told Reuters.

It was the latest in a series of similar altercations near Yeonpyeong island, which was bombed by the North in 2010 killing four people, including two civilians. The standoff came after a surprise visit by a high-level North Korean delegation at the weekend. A top military aide to the North's leader, Kim Jong Un, met South Korean officials. They agreed to resume dialogue on improving ties that had been cut off in February, raising hope for a breakthrough in the relationship between the rivals which remain in a technical state of war under a truce ending their 1950-53 war.